State v. Zdzieblowski

2014 WI App 130, 857 N.W.2d 622, 359 Wis. 2d 102, 2014 Wisc. App. LEXIS 915
CourtCourt of Appeals of Wisconsin
DecidedNovember 6, 2014
DocketNo. 2014AP619-CR
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 2014 WI App 130 (State v. Zdzieblowski) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Wisconsin primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Zdzieblowski, 2014 WI App 130, 857 N.W.2d 622, 359 Wis. 2d 102, 2014 Wisc. App. LEXIS 915 (Wis. Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

KLOPPENBURG, J.

¶ 1. A jury convicted Frank Zdzieblowski of operating a vehicle with a prohibited blood alcohol concentration as a sixth offense and felony bail jumping. Zdzieblowski argues on appeal, as he did before the circuit court after trial, that he is entitled to a new trial based on plain error or in the interest of justice, because improper questioning of prospective jurors by the prosecutor during voir dire compromised his constitutional right to a jury trial. Specifically, Zdzieblowski argues that when the prosecutor during voir dire elicited a promise from prospective jurors that they would convict if the State proved the elements of the charged crimes beyond a reasonable doubt, and then reminded the jurors of that promise in his rebuttal closing argument, that elicited promise diminished Zdzieblowski's constitutional right to a jury trial by eliminating the jury's power to exercise its nullification authority.1 We [107]*107conclude that in the circumstances of this case, and consistent with Wisconsin precedent pertaining to jury nullification, the prosecutor's unobjected to questioning and rebuttal closing argument neither rose to the level of plain error nor warranted a new trial in the interest of justice. Therefore, we affirm.

BACKGROUND

¶ 2. The State charged 73-year-old Zdzieblowski with operating a vehicle while intoxicated as a sixth offense, operating a vehicle with a prohibited blood alcohol concentration greater than .02, and bail jumping. Evidence supporting these charges arose following a valid traffic stop. Zdzieblowski told the officer who stopped him that he had drunk two beers at his daughter's home within one to two hours before the stop. Zdzieblowski did not display any signs of intoxication before or during the stop. His blood alcohol concentration at the time of the stop was .035. As of the date of the stop, Zdzieblowski was limited by law to a .02 blood alcohol concentration while driving, and was separately subject to a bond condition requiring absolute sobriety (resulting in the bail jumping charge). The case proceeded to a jury trial on the charges of operating a vehicle with a prohibited blood alcohol concentration and bail jumping.

¶ 3. This appeal turns on what took place during the prosecutor's questioning of prospective jurors before the trial commenced, along with his reference to [108]*108that questioning in his rebuttal closing argument. The prosecutor said the following while questioning prospective jurors:

If you are selected to serve on this jury and you are satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the evidence proves [the defendant] did consume alcohol in violation of that bond condition, raise your hand if you would find the defendant guilty in that situation!.]
... If I prove and the evidence proves beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant drove a vehicle on a public highway and that at that time his blood alcohol concentration was a .2 — excuse me — .02 or higher, if you're satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt of that, is there anyone who despite that would still find the defendant not guilty?
I'm not seeing any responses.
Raise your hand if you can promise that if you are satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant drove with a .02 or higher, that you will find the defendant guilty. If you can make that promise, raise your hand.
I'm seeing almost everyone's hand up.
[Juror], I didn't see you raise your hand .... I will rephrase the question.
So there are certain elements I need to prove for the prohibited alcohol concentration offense. One is that the defendant drove a vehicle on a highway, and the second is that at that time his blood alcohol concentration was a .02 or higher.
And so if you are selected to sit on this jury panel and you hear the testimony and you make factual determinations and you find beyond a reasonable doubt [109]*109that both of those elements have been proved, would you find the defendant guilty?
.. . Was there anyone else who couldn't raise [a] hand [in response] to that question, wasn't able to make that promise?
So my understanding is, if those elements are proved, that [the defendant] drove with a blood alcohol concentration over a .02, you can find the defendant guilty?
Thank you.

During follow-up questioning, still during voir dire, the prosecutor asked:

I had asked the question if at the close of evidence after you have heard the witnesses, you have seen the evidence, the stipulations and exhibits, if you are satisfied that the evidence shows beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant drove a motor vehicle and that his blood alcohol concentration was at or exceeded a .02, raise your hand if you can promise that you would find the defendant guilty.
... If it's proved beyond a reasonable doubt, you can say you will find the defendant guilty?

¶ 4. During his rebuttal closing argument, the prosecutor stated:

And I'd like to bring all of us back to jury selection. I asked you all a question, "If the State proves beyond a reasonable doubt and you're satisfied with the evidence that the defendant was at or above .02, to promise to find the defendant guilty." I asked you that question.
[110]*110"If the evidence satisfies you, can you make that promise?" Every juror raised [a] hand. Every juror could make that promise.
This evidence does satisfy beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant drove, and he had a PAC of .02 or above. You should convict for those reasons.

¶ 5. Defense counsel did not object to the prosecutor's questions during voir dire or to the prosecutor's rebuttal closing argument.

¶ 6. The jury convicted Zdzieblowski of operating a vehicle with a prohibited blood alcohol concentration and bail jumping.

¶ 7. Zdzieblowski filed a postconviction motion for a new trial "because his right to a trial by jury was compromised by the prosecutor's voir dire questioning impermissibly soliciting a promise from prospective jurors to return a guilty verdict if hypothetical conditions were satisfied and by the prosecutor's subsequent closing argument invoking this promise." The circuit court denied the motion after briefing and oral argument. Zdzieblowski appeals his judgment of conviction and the circuit court's order denying his postconviction motion.

DISCUSSION

¶ 8. Zdzieblowski argues that the "nub" of his contention is that, by eliciting a promise from prospective jurors to convict if all of the elements were proven beyond a reasonable doubt, the prosecutor eroded Zdzieblowski's right to a trial by jury, because this caused the jury to surrender its power to nullify from the outset of the case. Accordingly, Zdzieblowski requests a new trial based on plain error or in the interest of justice. As explained below, we deny his request [111]*111because we conclude, based on the record, that any error involving the questioning was harmless and that the controversy was fully tried.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2014 WI App 130, 857 N.W.2d 622, 359 Wis. 2d 102, 2014 Wisc. App. LEXIS 915, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-zdzieblowski-wisctapp-2014.